Fireworks Ban

[accadacca]

I have heard that some cities are banning them. I hate to be a scrooge, but seeing all these fireworks booths makes me nervous.

[Mtnseeker1]

Seeing the idiots in line at them make me more nervous

[restrac2000]

Several of my friends use to work a volunteer SAR in Colorado and spent many of their holidays chasing spot fires from fireworks. And those were dry years.

Not sure why we can't have emergency measures to ban the sale of such items. Booths are all over Cedar.

[Sombeech]

Time to break out the tater gun!

[Iceaxe]

I just found a large box of morters in my garage tonight while looking for a paint brush.... I thick they are left over from when I hit the exacta at Wyoming Downs a few years back. I spent most my winnings on WY beer and fireworks, the rest of the money I just wasted..... anyhoo I was thinking where/when I should light them off.

[Sombeech]

I've never understood why suburb neighborhoods and cities have ever had bans on fireworks. Mountains and foothills? Sure.

But I just can't imagine West Valley City or Ogden having a raging fire melting all of the sidewalks and shrubbery.

[denaliguide]

I just found a large box of morters in my garage tonight while looking for a paint brush.... I thick they are left over from when I hit the exacta at Wyoming Downs a few years back. I spent most my winnings on WY beer and fireworks, the rest of the money I just wasted..... anyhoo I was thinking where/when I should light them off.

only place i might feel safe is the salt flats.

[Mtnseeker1]

Bans only tend to move the danger out to more dangerous areas

[Iceaxe]

I can see Draper going up in flames like Colorado Springs. Just look at South Mountain and all the scrub oak in the open spaces between homes. And once a fire storm starts there is no stopping it.

[DOSS]

I've never understood why suburb neighborhoods and cities have ever had bans on fireworks. Mountains and foothills? Sure.

But I just can't imagine West Valley City or Ogden having a raging fire melting all of the sidewalks and shrubbery.

well after passing at least 5 different burnt out areas on the jordan river parkway between Midvale and I80 I would say that there are some things in the area that will burn.. such as peoples trees, fields, crap along the parkway, your neighbors house...

[rockgremlin]

I've never understood why suburb neighborhoods and cities have ever had bans on fireworks. Mountains and foothills? Sure.

But I just can't imagine West Valley City or Ogden having a raging fire melting all of the sidewalks and shrubbery.

Well, it happened in Chicago in 1871.

I can't understand the logic there either. I could get behind a ban in the foothills and outlying rural areas, but not in the middle of the concrete jungle.

Personally I believe that some of these fires are the handiwork of arsonists - the fires are too sporadic, with no apparent ignition source.

[restrac2000]

Historically, more damage happens within cities limits do to fireworks than in wild lands and open space. Deaths are low but more than 20,000 fires a year start from fireworks, which is extreme considering the limited season of their legal use. Of those fires, at least 80% happen within municipalities and non-wildland fires.

So....seems fair to at least raise the issue of banning fireworks within cities during times of extreme drought. Or at least mandating sales tax that helps municipalities recuperate the $40 million they spend annually on fireworks caused fires.

[accadacca]

Cant come into neighborhoods?

Picture from Colorado

More here: http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter

[tallsteve]

Highland City, where I live, placed a ban only in some ares of the city. My neighborhood is not included in the ban and I am scared to death. We have a small hollow at the backside of our property, full of scrub oak, sagebrush and cheat-grass. It will only take 1 errant firework to set it a blaze. I told my wife we are setting our emergency kits by the front door, ready to go.

[BruteForce]

Sitting on the patio last night, heard nothing but bottle rockets to my North (in South Jordan).. followed by fire trucks. I fear for what 4 July will look like!

[Sombeech]

Just heard the Governor speaking on the ban - "other than in incorporated cities".

Then it's up to each city, as it should be.

[rockgremlin]

Cant come into neighborhoods?

Picture from Colorado

More here: http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter

This looks shopped to me. Too many colors swirling around and blending into each other. I'm not saying it IS shopped, just saying it LOOKS like it is. Also, some houses are completely burnt to the ground - and all the surrounding trees appear to be unscathed.

[restrac2000]

This looks shopped to me. Too many colors swirling around and blending into each other. I'm not saying it IS shopped, just saying it LOOKS like it is. Also, some houses are completely burnt to the ground - and all the surrounding trees appear to be unscathed.

Fires don't always burn the entire area to the ground, especially with high winds and major spot fires. I am going to guess many of those home that were lost were from major embers falling on shake roofs (common in colorado). Just a guess though. To me, those fire shot looks completely natural from the 2-3 wildfires I worked in the past. And from the information I know about this fire it blew up within a matter of hours (not long after residents where complaining that they should be allowed to return) within that subdivision.

Look through the more than 250 photos on the website and you will see evidence to support the ideas above. Plus, what does anyone gain from photoshopping a shoot like that, especially when the Post is volunteering to provide photos to homeowners to start insurance claims.

Phillip

[stefan]

This looks shopped to me. Too many colors swirling around and blending into each other. I'm not saying it IS shopped, just saying it LOOKS like it is. Also, some houses are completely burnt to the ground - and all the surrounding trees appear to be unscathed.

yea, we're not used to seeing aerial photos like this, especially with the ash splayed about, and there might have been some contrast enhancement but no photochopping.

here's a closeup for ya

[Scott P]

This looks shopped to me. Too many colors swirling around and blending into each other. I'm not saying it IS shopped, just saying it LOOKS like it is. Also, some houses are completely burnt to the ground - and all the surrounding trees appear to be unscathed.

It is real. This is a photo of the Mountain Shadows subdivision of Colorado Springs, taken by RJ Sangosti from a helicopter and it is posted on the news websites. 346 homes destroyed. A dead and burt body was just found in the subdivision as well.

Story:

http://www.denverpost.com/wildfires/...nfirm-hundreds